Published: Monday, January 9, 2012 at 6:38 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, January 9, 2012 at 6:38 p.m.

An Alachua County Circuit Court judge has ordered the University of Florida to provide an animal rights activist with records on primates involved in research.

Camille Marino of Wildwood, who founded the group Negotiation is Over, received the records last week. She said she plans to use them to continue a campaign against animal research at UF, which recently included the online posting of the layout of UF laboratories and university spokeswoman Janine Sikes's cellphone number.

“They could not do what they do if they didn't do it behind a wall of secrecy,” Marino said. “This is about tearing down that wall.”

Sikes received more than a dozen calls, including a death threat that UF police are investigating. She said UF resisted releasing the records out of concern about the safety of researchers.

“This is no longer a free-speech issue. She's an animal terrorist,” Sikes said of Marino.

The Negotiation is Over website has posted contact information of UF researchers, with group members distributing fliers in one researcher's neighborhood, and an offer of a $100 reward for information on students involved in research. In 2010, a California researcher whose car had been set on fire obtained an injunction ordering Marino to remove his address from the site.

The site describes imparting a vision of “car bombs, 24/7 security cameras, embarrassing home demonstrations, threats, injuries, and fear” on researchers. UF Police Chief Linda Stump said her department is monitoring the site for threats and talking with state and federal prosecutors to see if anything goes beyond free speech to being a criminal act.

“We'll be all over it when it does,” she said.

Last fall, Marino requested records from UF on 33 primates used in research. UF initially billed her $566.54 before refunding the money and providing just one redacted purchasing report, removing information from it on the location of monkeys. UF cited a state law protecting the confidentiality of veterinary patient records in denying the request for other records.

Marino sued UF in October. In ordering the records to be released last week, Circuit Judge Martha Ann Lott found that the public records exemption applies only to the confidentiality of pet records held by a private veterinarian. But Lott refrained from ordering the disclosure of the location of monkeys based on “substantial concern for the personal safety of individuals.”

Under Lott's order, UF will have the opportunity at a later hearing to show that the information falls under another public records exemption covering security plan information. Gainesville attorney Marcy LaHart, who is representing Marino, said the law isn't intended to shield the location of university research facilities and animals.

“The University of Florida is reading the law to say something that it does not because they wish it did,” she said.

The records released to Marino, also obtained by The Sun, include hundreds of pages of progress reports on the health of cebus and rhesus monkeys. The records also include purchase reports suggesting that monkeys were obtained from the wild in South America.

“They were stripped from their families to be sent to the U.S. (and) put in a prison their entire lives,” Marino said. “It's horrific. I don't care if it's legal.”

The Florida Board of Governors is asking state lawmakers, as part of its legislative budget request, to create a public records exemption for the addresses of university faculty and staff who conduct research involving animals. Stump said UF police are reviewing security measures and raising awareness of Negotiation is Over's tactics with university employees.

“Whether it's real or perceived, some of these folks feel threatened by this group,” she said.

Contact Nathan Crabbe at 338-3176 or nathan.crabbe@gvillesun.com. For more stories on the University of Florida, visit www.thecampussun.com.

<p>An Alachua County Circuit Court judge has ordered the University of Florida to provide an animal rights activist with records on primates involved in research.</p><p>Camille Marino of Wildwood, who founded the group Negotiation is Over, received the records last week. She said she plans to use them to continue a campaign against animal research at UF, which recently included the online posting of the layout of UF laboratories and university spokeswoman Janine Sikes's cellphone number.</p><p>“They could not do what they do if they didn't do it behind a wall of secrecy,” Marino said. “This is about tearing down that wall.”</p><hr />
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<hr /><p>Sikes received more than a dozen calls, including a death threat that UF police are investigating. She said UF resisted releasing the records out of concern about the safety of researchers.</p><p>“This is no longer a free-speech issue. She's an animal terrorist,” Sikes said of Marino.</p><p>The Negotiation is Over website has posted contact information of UF researchers, with group members distributing fliers in one researcher's neighborhood, and an offer of a $100 reward for information on students involved in research. In 2010, a California researcher whose car had been set on fire obtained an injunction ordering Marino to remove his address from the site.</p><p>The site describes imparting a vision of “car bombs, 24/7 security cameras, embarrassing home demonstrations, threats, injuries, and fear” on researchers. UF Police Chief Linda Stump said her department is monitoring the site for threats and talking with state and federal prosecutors to see if anything goes beyond free speech to being a criminal act.</p><p>“We'll be all over it when it does,” she said.</p><p>Last fall, Marino requested records from UF on 33 primates used in research. UF initially billed her $566.54 before refunding the money and providing just one redacted purchasing report, removing information from it on the location of monkeys. UF cited a state law protecting the confidentiality of veterinary patient records in denying the request for other records.</p><p>Marino sued UF in October. In ordering the records to be released last week, Circuit Judge Martha Ann Lott found that the public records exemption applies only to the confidentiality of pet records held by a private veterinarian. But Lott refrained from ordering the disclosure of the location of monkeys based on “substantial concern for the personal safety of individuals.”</p><p>Under Lott's order, UF will have the opportunity at a later hearing to show that the information falls under another public records exemption covering security plan information. Gainesville attorney Marcy LaHart, who is representing Marino, said the law isn't intended to shield the location of university research facilities and animals.</p><p>“The University of Florida is reading the law to say something that it does not because they wish it did,” she said.</p><p>The records released to Marino, also obtained by The Sun, include hundreds of pages of progress reports on the health of cebus and rhesus monkeys. The records also include purchase reports suggesting that monkeys were obtained from the wild in South America.</p><p>“They were stripped from their families to be sent to the U.S. (and) put in a prison their entire lives,” Marino said. “It's horrific. I don't care if it's legal.”</p><p>The Florida Board of Governors is asking state lawmakers, as part of its legislative budget request, to create a public records exemption for the addresses of university faculty and staff who conduct research involving animals. Stump said UF police are reviewing security measures and raising awareness of Negotiation is Over's tactics with university employees.</p><p>“Whether it's real or perceived, some of these folks feel threatened by this group,” she said.</p><p><i>Contact Nathan Crabbe at 338-3176 or nathan.crabbe@gvillesun.com. For more stories on the University of Florida, visit www.thecampussun.com.</i></p>